After being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at 5.7 I was put on metformin, during the next few months I had numerous very low blood sugar readings, and had to take glucose tablets. Stopped taking metformin an I haven't had any lbsreadings since. Had a blood test recently and am still at 5.7.was using a blood sugar monitor. Has anyone experienced anything similar.
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Metformin
- Thread starter marlyn7
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Leadinglights
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Could you clarify the units of your quoted 5.7
Martin.A
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HbA1c isn't measured in mmol/L, it's measured in mmol/mol. Are you sure that's not 5.8%?
Kopiert
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I think it would be highly (highly) unusual for Metformin to cause a low blood sugar reading. Are you taking any other drugs or engaging in any other activities that might cause low blood sugar levels, for example, exercise and not eating? What has your doctor/nurse said?
When you say low readings, what figures were you seeing (I assume you are self-metering)?
One thing might be a B12 deficiency, which is common when first taking Metformin. That can make you feel pretty rotten, tired, and weak. It happened to me when I first started taking Metformin.
Nick
When you say low readings, what figures were you seeing (I assume you are self-metering)?
One thing might be a B12 deficiency, which is common when first taking Metformin. That can make you feel pretty rotten, tired, and weak. It happened to me when I first started taking Metformin.
Nick
All I can tell you is my blood sugar monitor says 5.8 ,doctor says 5.8 , so I assume my leave ok .
Leadinglights
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The reading on your monitor is not your HbA1C result but just a moment in time and is in mmol/l so 5.8mmol/l.
Your HbA1C would generally be from a sample taken from your arm and sent to the lab, the result of that would be in mmol/mol and the result below 42 mmol/mol would be normal, not diabetic, 42 -47mmol/mol would be prediabetic or at risk, over 47mmol/mol would be a diabetes diagnosis.
I would be unusual to prescribe metformin unless your HbA1C was significantly higher than the diagnostic threshold of 48mmol/mol.
Perhaps you need to clarify with your GP exactly what tests have been done and ask the result.
Martin.A
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I agree with @Leadinglights - diabetes isn't diagnosed on the basis of a finger prick test. Even if it were your 5.7 and 5.8 point to normal range. You would have be consistently in the 7s for likely pre-diabetes and consistently above 8.0 for likely diabetes, but in both cases it would need an HbA1c to confirm.
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All I can say is that since coming off metformin no low readings, my recent blood test said my hb1ac was now normal.
My latest blood test said my hba1c was normal.
Leadinglights
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That would be fairly consistent with fasting finger prick readings of 5-6mmol/l
My diagnosis was after a blood test
Whatever HbA1c is measured in my diagnosis was after a blood test
May I ask what happened re the B12 deficiency?34
I've just been diagnosed with that thro my yearly blood test.
Leadinglights
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Some people can be treated with oral vit B12 but if the problem is caused by metformin or other conditions which affect the absorption of B12 from foods then regular B12 injections would be needed.
There are quite a few foods with high B12 but if it is a problem with absorption they don't help much.
So treatment may depend on cause and how low it is.
Martin.A
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I think your initial post "After being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at 5.7....." caused some confusion as that isn't an HbA1c result and doesn't put you in diabetes territory. Out of interest do you know what your HbA1c was? It'll be a number above 47, some way above if Metformin was prescribed. No need to say if you don't want to.
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Thank you, yes, injections have been mentioned, and that they may be for life (I am on Metformin). I didn't realise I had some of the deficiency symptoms until the blood test so it was a bit of a surprise.
rebrascora
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I was wondering if the 5.7 was actually 57mmols/mol and the OP was trying to report it in a similar format to the finger prick results they were seeing.
@marlyn7 Which BG meter were you using? There are a couple of cheaper BG meters on the market which give a false low reading when you don't get enough blood on the test strip rather than giving you an error message, so I am wondering if you were getting genuine lows or false lows as Metformin does not generally cause hypos. Libre and other CGM can also give false lows.
@marlyn7 Which BG meter were you using? There are a couple of cheaper BG meters on the market which give a false low reading when you don't get enough blood on the test strip rather than giving you an error message, so I am wondering if you were getting genuine lows or false lows as Metformin does not generally cause hypos. Libre and other CGM can also give false lows.
Not at present, having a break from using them, not got a blood test now till end of October.